ABINGTON, PA. (November 9, 2016) — Abington – Jefferson Health’s interventional cardiology team recently became one of the first in the area to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option that disappears over time.

“We are thrilled to offer our patients the Absorb stent as an additional treatment option,” said Bruce Klugherz, M.D., interventional cardiologist and Director of the Catheterization Lab at Abington Hospital. “Similar to other stents, this opens clogged arteries to restore blood flow. But this technology gradually reabsorbs over time, as opposed to metal stents which stay in the body permanently.”

Coronary artery disease affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death worldwide despite therapeutic advances. Over time, fats, cholesterol and other substances build up in the walls of arteries to form plaque, which can lead to symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath. In some cases, a plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form, obstructing blood flow to the heart muscle, resulting in a heart attack.

The Absorb stent is made of a material that reabsorbs, similar to dissolving sutures. The stent disappears in about three years, after it has done its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promoting healing of the treated artery segment.